Opposition coalition to resume presidential candidate discussions

The opposition coalition is getting ready to reopen discussions to bring forth a presidential candidate to compete against President Abdulla Yameen in the upcoming presidential elections, Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Hussan Latheef said Wednesday.

According to Latheef, talks of a single candidate from the opposition came to a halt after the declaration of the state of emergency on February 5. He said that since the state of emergency was lifted on March 22, all the parties in the coalition are considering to reopen the discussions again. However, he had not specified any dates.

He added that the opposition is not only trying to bring forth a single candidate, but that it is also trying to find ways to make the government more accountable. It is the opposition's aim to defeat President Yameen within the confines of the Constitution, he added.

Each party has allocated two representatives to advocate to represent them in the discussions.

However, the majority of the popular candidates from the opposition, such as former President Mohamed Nasheed, Jumhoory Party’s leader Qasim Ibrahim and Adhaalath Party’s leader Sheikh Imran Abdullah have all been convicted on hefty charges, which bars them from running in the election, slated towards the end of this year.